Iturralde: Sporting penalty correct, Porto risked a red card | OneFootball

Iturralde González, former international Spanish referee, analyzed the incidents of the 21st round classic of the Liga Betclic between Porto and Sporting, which ended in a one-all draw. The expert agreed with the penalty awarded in favor of Sporting and even considers that Kiwior could have been sent off.

"Even if Kiwior managed to clear the ball, it is a foul. As soon as the Porto defender cleared the ball, he made a tackle with his studs up, hitting Geny Catamo's ankle. It was a clear foul for a yellow card, because it was a serious foul on the Sporting forward. The question here is whether it could have actually been a red card for violent conduct. There is a common misconception in football that if the player touched the ball first, it cannot be a foul. That is not true," he said when asked if Luís Godinho was right not to call a foul in this instance.

Regarding the penalty for handball by Francisco Moura after Iván Fresneda's cross, Iturralde González had no doubts: "It's a clear penalty. Francisco Moura's hand is pointing down even before the cross, and at the moment Fresneda crosses, the Porto defender extends his arm, touching the ball and intercepting the Sporting player's pass inside the area."

Another controversial incident in the match, with some complaints from Porto, was an early phase incident between Maxi Araújo and Pepê. The former referee makes it clear that the Uruguayan did not commit a penalty: "There are no doubts here, it's just a normal contest for the ball. Pepê cuts inside and Maxi Araújo touches him with his hands, making the Porto player fall, but we must not forget that football is a contact sport and this contest is simply part of the game. These are plays where the forward does more to fall than the defender does to bring him down."

With this draw – the fifth in 36 matches this season – the team led by Rui Borges now has 52 points and remains in second place in the Liga Portugal Betclic standings. Porto (56) is in first place. Meanwhile, Benfica is third with 49.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.